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Letter of Padre Martinez to Bishop Lamy - December 17, 1853
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
1:03:00 AM EDT
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Father Tom Steele, Vicente Martinez and I have been actively collaborating on materials dealing with the seventeen year lacuna in the 1877 biography of Padre Martinez by Santiago Valdez. The biography, for all intents and purposes ends in 1850, and skips over all of the tension and conflict between Bishop Lamy, and Padre Martinez and the other native New Mexican priests.
Padre Martinez wrote the letter below to Bishop Lamy on December 17, 1853.
In spite of tension that may have existed between Bishop Lamy and Padre Martinez, the primary relationship reflected in this letter of Martinez to Lamy is one of great confidence on part of the Bishop Lamy for Padre Martinez, and of great respect of Padre Martinez for Bishop Lamy. Bishop Lamy had just been promoted from Vicar Apostolic--dependent on the Diocese of St. Louis, Missouri--to become Bishop (Ordinary) of the fully constituted Diocese of Santa Fe, now no longer a Vicariate Apostolic--as missionary territories are generally at first constituted. Lamy had entrusted Martinez with significant responsibilities—not only to exercise pastoral supervision over a priest with a difficulty, but also to help the bishop prepare for some possible sensitive judicial dealings with Rome.
Padre Abeyta had a problem with alcohol, and Bishop Lamy had asked Padre Martinez to keep an eye out on him. It seems that the Bishop sent Padre Abeyta to Arroyo Hondo to recuperate in a safe environment under the supervision of Padre Martinez, about twelve miles away. Padre Abeyta was the son of the man credited with being the founder of the Santuario of Chimayó.
More significant than the responsibility of watching over Padre Abeyta was the confidence that Bishop Lamy showed in asking Padre Martinez for canonical help regarding a delicate matter --a possible judicial procedure in Rome. Ex-Vicar Juan Felipe Ortiz was planning to send to Rome a bill of complaints against Bishop Lamy. He was planning to do this through his friend who was the Apostolic Nuncio to Mexico. One of the complaints was that BishopLamy put a claim on property surrounding La Parrroquia, on the site later to be occupied by the cathedral in Santa Fe, that ex-Vicar Ortiz both occupied and claimed as personal property. Bishop Lamy asked Padre Martinez to use his canonical expertise in helping defend himself in Rome against the allegations of ex-Vicar Ortiz.
Padre Martinez and Vicar Ortiz were sometime-rivals, and there was not much love lost between them. Martinez opted to help the Bishop. It is clear that at this time, Padre Martinez-- trying to ingratiate himself within the new power structure—was really trying to be a team player on the Bishop’s “team.” The absolute irony of this communication is that Padre Martinez himself was the best coach that Bishop Lamy could have in canonical procedure for use in Rome against a pesky priest. The sadness is that Bishop Lamy would one day, five years or so down the line, use the advice against Padre Martinez himself.
Fray Angelico Chavez, in BUT TIME AND CHANCE (pp. 120-21),has a much darker take on this letter. He presumes that Padre Martinez was the source of the Bishop's knowledge of the adversarial correspondence bound for Rome, and considers Padre Martinez--in this particularly sycophantic communication--to have betrayed his fellow New Mexican priest ex-Vicar Ortiz, and though that action to have betrayed all for whom Martinez pretended to advocate.
Chavez sees this letter as the beginning of a mental deterioration on the part of Martinez, and a turning point in which he incorrectly viewed himself as still able to wield ecclesiastical power in a changed world.
[The translation below is fresh, distinct from that of Fray Angelico, and made in collaboration among Fr. Tom Steele, Vicente Martinez, and me.]
Taos
December 17, 1853
His Excellency, the Most Rev. Jean Lamy
Bishop of New Mexico
My Dear Bishop and Your Excellency:
I greet you with my greatest respect and highest regards. I am writing to keep you abreast about what is going on with Padre Abeyta. He is still living at the rectory of the parish of Our Lady of Sorrows at Arroyo Hondo, and as far as I can see, he is carrying out his duties very well.
It also my pleasure to tell Your Excellency that the enclosed booklet of 48 pages contains your statement of principles and defense — I have sent you word through Don Ramón Trujillo that I have finished working on it. By it, Your Excellency will be informed of the chapter headings contained in the bill of complaints that Señor Vicar Don Juan Felipe Ortiz is bringing before pontifical authorities. It is possible that the complaints may not be accepted, but in case they are, I have checked them out in such a way so that Your Excellency may have your material at hand and be able to prepare your rebuttals. Although the statement takes up a lot of space, and I made an effort to obtain the greatest amount of advice, it explains the foundations for the rebuttals that seem most obvious to me, even though Your Excellency will prepare them even better and with stronger argument. Nevertheless, I believe that this can be of service to Your Excellency for something.
Persuaded of its justice, I composed this Apologia as a token of my high regard for you, and convinced that the steps taken by Your Excellency regarding the administration of these Churches of New Mexico—previously as Vicar Apostolic, and now as Bishop in your own right. My regard has as its only purpose to make clear the best fulfillment of honor and Glory of God, either now by yourself or later by your Vicar General, Very Rev. Jospeh Projetus Macebeuf. May your very great intelligence graciously accept in this Apologia my tokens of humble regard as pledges of a wholesome intent. I wish Your Excellency the best of health, moreover hearty congratulations!
Yours truly, as servant and Chaplain who attentively kisses your hand,
Antonio José Martinez
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1:03:00 AM EDT
Letter of Padre Martinez to Bishop Lamy - December 17, 1853
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Father Tom Steele, Vicente Martinez and I have been actively collaborating on materials dealing with the seventeen year lacuna in the 1877 biography of Padre Martinez by Santiago Valdez. The biography, for all intents and purposes ends in 1850, and skips over all of the tension and conflict between Bishop Lamy, and Padre Martinez and the other native New Mexican priests.
Padre Martinez wrote the letter below to Bishop Lamy on December 17, 1853.
In spite of tension that may have existed between Bishop Lamy and Padre Martinez, the primary relationship reflected in this letter of Martinez to Lamy is one of great confidence on part of the Bishop Lamy for Padre Martinez, and of great respect of Padre Martinez for Bishop Lamy. Bishop Lamy had just been promoted from Vicar Apostolic--dependent on the Diocese of St. Louis, Missouri--to become Bishop (Ordinary) of the fully constituted Diocese of Santa Fe, now no longer a Vicariate Apostolic--as missionary territories are generally at first constituted. Lamy had entrusted Martinez with significant responsibilities—not only to exercise pastoral supervision over a priest with a difficulty, but also to help the bishop prepare for some possible sensitive judicial dealings with Rome.
Padre Abeyta had a problem with alcohol, and Bishop Lamy had asked Padre Martinez to keep an eye out on him. It seems that the Bishop sent Padre Abeyta to Arroyo Hondo to recuperate in a safe environment under the supervision of Padre Martinez, about twelve miles away. Padre Abeyta was the son of the man credited with being the founder of the Santuario of Chimayó.
More significant than the responsibility of watching over Padre Abeyta was the confidence that Bishop Lamy showed in asking Padre Martinez for canonical help regarding a delicate matter --a possible judicial procedure in Rome. Ex-Vicar Juan Felipe Ortiz was planning to send to Rome a bill of complaints against Bishop Lamy. He was planning to do this through his friend who was the Apostolic Nuncio to Mexico. One of the complaints was that BishopLamy put a claim on property surrounding La Parrroquia, on the site later to be occupied by the cathedral in Santa Fe, that ex-Vicar Ortiz both occupied and claimed as personal property. Bishop Lamy asked Padre Martinez to use his canonical expertise in helping defend himself in Rome against the allegations of ex-Vicar Ortiz.
Padre Martinez and Vicar Ortiz were sometime-rivals, and there was not much love lost between them. Martinez opted to help the Bishop. It is clear that at this time, Padre Martinez-- trying to ingratiate himself within the new power structure—was really trying to be a team player on the Bishop’s “team.” The absolute irony of this communication is that Padre Martinez himself was the best coach that Bishop Lamy could have in canonical procedure for use in Rome against a pesky priest. The sadness is that Bishop Lamy would one day, five years or so down the line, use the advice against Padre Martinez himself.
Fray Angelico Chavez, in BUT TIME AND CHANCE (pp. 120-21),has a much darker take on this letter. He presumes that Padre Martinez was the source of the Bishop's knowledge of the adversarial correspondence bound for Rome, and considers Padre Martinez--in this particularly sycophantic communication--to have betrayed his fellow New Mexican priest ex-Vicar Ortiz, and though that action to have betrayed all for whom Martinez pretended to advocate.
Chavez sees this letter as the beginning of a mental deterioration on the part of Martinez, and a turning point in which he incorrectly viewed himself as still able to wield ecclesiastical power in a changed world.
[The translation below is fresh, distinct from that of Fray Angelico, and made in collaboration among Fr. Tom Steele, Vicente Martinez, and me.]
Taos
December 17, 1853
His Excellency, the Most Rev. Jean Lamy
Bishop of New Mexico
My Dear Bishop and Your Excellency:
I greet you with my greatest respect and highest regards. I am writing to keep you abreast about what is going on with Padre Abeyta. He is still living at the rectory of the parish of Our Lady of Sorrows at Arroyo Hondo, and as far as I can see, he is carrying out his duties very well.
It also my pleasure to tell Your Excellency that the enclosed booklet of 48 pages contains your statement of principles and defense — I have sent you word through Don Ramón Trujillo that I have finished working on it. By it, Your Excellency will be informed of the chapter headings contained in the bill of complaints that Señor Vicar Don Juan Felipe Ortiz is bringing before pontifical authorities. It is possible that the complaints may not be accepted, but in case they are, I have checked them out in such a way so that Your Excellency may have your material at hand and be able to prepare your rebuttals. Although the statement takes up a lot of space, and I made an effort to obtain the greatest amount of advice, it explains the foundations for the rebuttals that seem most obvious to me, even though Your Excellency will prepare them even better and with stronger argument. Nevertheless, I believe that this can be of service to Your Excellency for something.
Persuaded of its justice, I composed this Apologia as a token of my high regard for you, and convinced that the steps taken by Your Excellency regarding the administration of these Churches of New Mexico—previously as Vicar Apostolic, and now as Bishop in your own right. My regard has as its only purpose to make clear the best fulfillment of honor and Glory of God, either now by yourself or later by your Vicar General, Very Rev. Jospeh Projetus Macebeuf. May your very great intelligence graciously accept in this Apologia my tokens of humble regard as pledges of a wholesome intent. I wish Your Excellency the best of health, moreover hearty congratulations!
Yours truly, as servant and Chaplain who attentively kisses your hand,
Antonio José Martinez
Written by juanrvi Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | digg this
